Thursday March 26, 2015

Take Action to Decriminalize Condoms As Evidence & Syringes

As discussions of the Article 7 language regarding decriminalizing syringes and ending the use of condoms as evidence are taking place at the Capitol, Housing Works has made a recent ACTION ALERT and we need your help and outreach to take action against the decriminalization of condoms and syringes.

1) Please send the following message to Senator Dean Skelos as soon as possible.

Time and again, harm reduction methods prove to be the most successful in the fight against AIDS, and in New York State condoms and syringes have proven to be effective, low-cost HIV prevention tools. If we are going to prevent the spread of HIV, we need enhanced and expanded access to condoms and syringes rather than subjecting people to arrest for carrying multiple condoms and syringes.

We urge the Senate to support and include the Assembly Article 7 language to repeal the criminal law on syringe possession and end the use of condoms as evidence of sex trade offenses. These reforms will be crucial to ending AIDS as an epidemic in New York.

2) Please send the following message to Governor Cuomo as soon as possible.

Time and again, harm reduction methods prove to be the most successful in the fight against AIDS, and in New York State condoms and syringes have proven to be effective, low-cost HIV prevention tools. If we are going to prevent the spread of HIV, we need enhanced and expanded access to condoms and syringes rather than subjecting people to arrest for carrying multiple condoms and syringes.

We urge Governor Cuomo to support and include the Assembly Article 7 language to repeal the criminal law on syringe possession and end the use of condoms as evidence of sex trade offenses. These reforms will be crucial to ending AIDS as an epidemic in New York.